Shocking fires in Turkey | What are the assumptions about the origin

The forest fires in Turkey have left at least six dead and more than 50 people hospitalized, while many houses were set on fire, forcing dozens of towns and neighborhoods to be evacuated. The south and west of the country are the most affected areas. There are 71 fires declared since Wednesday, of which 57 outbreaks were brought under control.

The most affected area is the province of Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast. It is a popular tourist destination in Europe and Russia. There were three deaths there, as the flames hit 21 of Turkey’s 81 provinces. More than 3,000 head of cattle are estimated to have been lost to the blaze, as the flames devoured large agricultural areas and dozens of villages had to be evacuated.

El president Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised an investigation to determine the source of the fires. One hypothesis being considered is that this would be sabotage by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PPK, an insurgent group that has been in conflict with the Turkish government for decades.

“There are several speculations about the fires. I will repeat what I said from the beginning. The investigation is ongoing and when we have concrete conclusions, we will reveal it, ”said Turkish Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli.

The main opposition party in Turkey, the social democrat CHP, rejected the idea of ​​sabotage, after a meeting with the Minister of the Interior Süleyman Soylu. “(Soylu) said there was no indication that the fires were due to sabotage. They could have been caused by the high temperatures,” said Engin Özkoç, a CHP deputy. Opposition criticizes Erdogan government for not having taken preventive measures and for not having sent enough tankers to the fire zones.

For the time being, a person was arrested for the fires in the province of Mersin. In the tourist town of Marmaris, where one died, two ten-year-old boys confessed to wanting to burn a book and this caused the fire, according to the newspaper. Freedom.

The newspaper indicates that the rise in temperatures which is forecast for the next few days could make the situation worse. Southerly winds are expected to raise the temperature to 37 degrees in Istanbul and 40 in other areas. The Russian government has already offered help to Erdogan.